Global Health, Local Heart

The Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program will shift its primary service trip to December to better accommodate accelerated cohorts and new graduates. The move also takes advantage of a longer break and cooler temperatures in India.

Last August, nursing instructor Heather Kuljian led a team of 10 students to Chennai and rural Hanumanthapuram to work with a local Christian ministry. The students provided well-child assessments for 200 school children and staffed a daily clinic for the surrounding community. In one case, they provided immediate relief by removing a live insect from a woman’s ear.

Cultural immersion included observing local festivals, prompting deep discussions about faith and Christ’s atoning sacrifi ce. “Our trip last August featured opportunities for both service and education,” Kuljian said. This year, the program focuses on an eyeglass project with a goal of 400 exams and maternity internships in the Philippines.

For more information about Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing, see westmont.edu/nursing.